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Andrew’s a lifelong traveler who puts in over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew’s worked at Th...
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...
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Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the most valuable and versatile points available. The points transfer to 14 different travel partners, giving you endless opportunities to travel the world in style.
But before we talk about redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you need to earn some first. Thankfully, earning a large amount of Chase Ultimate Rewards is relatively easy, even if you’re new to the miles and points game.
Let’s take a look at how you can earn 100,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards points in just 90 days.
Why Would You Want To Earn 100,000 Chase Points?
As stated earlier, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are super flexible, because they can be transferred to valuable transfer partners like Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and World of Hyatt. You can use these points to travel the world in stylish business class seats and to stay at the most luxurious hotels.
Plus, let’s be real: the points also come in handy for funding quick jaunts around the U.S. This is especially true when you book tickets at the last minute on a business-heavy route.
Regardless of what your travel goals are, 100,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards points can subsidize your travels and fly you just about anywhere on the globe.
How To Earn 100,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
1. Apply for Chase Credit Cards
First things first: to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you must have a Chase credit card that earns Ultimate Rewards in your wallet. Currently, there is no way to sign up for the Chase Ultimate Rewards program without having one of those cards.
Thankfully, though, there are many different Ultimate Rewards-earning cards offered by Chase — some for individuals and some for small businesses. Each of these cards has different benefits, earning structures, and fees, so it’s good to compare each card against your personal credit needs.
Here’s a look at our recommended personal and small business cards currently offered by Chase, with their current welcome offers:
Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)
Recommended Chase Cards (Business)
Note that each of these cards has a different welcome offer, usually ranging from 15,000 to 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points. Simply putting the required spend on your new credit card alone could get you near — or over — the threshold of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
Hot Tip: You can only be approved for new Chase credit cards if you have opened fewer than 5 new accounts in the last 24 months. Check out our article on Chase’s 5/24 rule for more information.
2. Use the Right Cards for the Right Purchases
Now that you have a set of Chase Ultimate Rewards cards and have met the minimum spending requirements, make sure you’re using the right cards for the right purchases.
For example, make sure you’re putting travel expenses on a Chase Sapphire Reserve card and put drugstore purchases or any others that don’t fall in a bonus category on a Freedom Unlimited card.
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders earn 3 points per dollar on travel and dining purchases. If you were to purchase a $1,000 plane ticket, you’d get a cool 3,000 points in return. However, this card earns just 1 point per dollar on all other categories.
That’s where the Freedom Unlimited card’s 1.5x points per dollar on all non-bonus purchases come into play. For example, if you buy a $1,500 washing machine for your house, you’ll earn an extra 750 points by putting it on your Freedom Unlimited card instead of your Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Plus, your Freedom Unlimited card will also earn 5x points on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, and 3x on dining and drugstore purchases.
Remember, this only works if you have a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points directly, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.
Depending on your spending habits, using the right Chase Ultimate Rewards card can help you make serious progress toward your 100,000-point goal. This is especially true if you travel for work and can expense food, travel, and other essentials.
Bottom Line: Use the right cards for your daily purchases to rack up points quickly and sustainably.
3. Pay Your Rent With a Card That Earns Ultimate Rewards
Another easy way to get closer to your 100,000-point goal is by paying your rent with an Ultimate Rewards card. This can help you meet the minimum spend and gives you a way to earn a set number of points every month.
Some landlords accept credit cards by default, but if yours doesn’t, consider using Plastiq. This service lets you pay almost any bill with a credit card and will simply mail a check to your landlord. Use a Freedom Unlimited card (for 1.5x points per dollar on purchases) to offset the service’s fee and earn the most points.
4. Load up on Gift Cards for Future Purchases and Prepay Bills
Need to earn Ultimate Rewards points quickly but don’t have any large purchases on the horizon? You may want to considerstocking up on gift cards for future purchases.
For example, if you know you’ll spend $100 on Uber next month, you can buy $100 in Uber gift cards through the app in advance (while still earning 3 points per dollar with a Chase Sapphire Reserve card).
Small business owners have an even sweeter deal when pre-buying gift cards. The Ink Business Cash card earns 5% cash-back on up to $25,000 in combined purchases every cardmember year in select business categories, including at office supply stores. Fortunately, retailers like Office Max and Staples sell gift cards from merchants like Amazon, Home Depot, Whole Foods, eBay, and more. This makes it easy to earn even more bonus points on upcoming business expenses.
Further, you can prepay bills with your Chase Ultimate Rewards card to earn extra points quickly. Many cell phone carriers and home utility companies support this, making it a good way to earn points in a pinch.
5. Add Trusted Friends and Family Members as Authorized Users
All cards that earn Ultimate Rewards let you add authorized users to your account. Doing this will give you an additional card linked to your Chase account under another person’s name, so they can make charges that are then billed to your primary account.
Purchases made on authorized user cards earn the same number of points as the primary cardholder’s card. If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card and add your spouse as an authorized user, you’ll earn 3x points per dollar on their dining and 2x points per dollar on their travel purchases.
Be cautious though: only add people who you trust to your account. Otherwise, you could be left with a huge bill and no recourse to dispute the charges. After all, the person you added as an authorized user is, indeed, authorized to charge purchases to your account.
6. Go Shopping With the Shop through Chase
Chase has a shopping portal that lets Chase cardholders earn bonus Ultimate Rewards points on their online purchases. The number of bonus points you’ll earn depends on the merchant you’re shopping at, and you must click through the portal link before you make a purchase. Here’s how it works:
First, log in to your Chase account and head over to the Ultimate Rewards dashboard. You can find Shop through Chase by clicking on the Earn Bonus Points tab at the top of the screen.
Then, search for your merchant of choice and you’ll see how many bonus points you’ll earn below the shop’s name. Simply click on the merchant’s icon and you’ll be brought to its respective online store where you can make your purchase as normal.
The bonus points will usually be credited to your account in 3 to 5 days, although some merchants take longer. Note that the bonus points earned are in addition to the points earned with your credit card. So if you purchase a $700 laptop from Staples with your Ink Business Cash card, you’ll earn bonus points in addition to the 5 points per dollar you earn at office supply stores.
If you have any online shopping to do, make sure to go through Shop through Chase first. This will help you rack up some serious points — especially if you’re making a large purchase from a home improvement or electronics store.
Let’s assume that Lowe’s is offering 3 bonus points per dollar through the portal. Buying a $1,500 grill would put you 4,500 Ultimate Rewards points closer to your 100,000 goal — and that’s without taking points from spending on your credit card into account.
7. Refer Your Friends and Family To Apply for Chase Cards
If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card, or another select Chase credit card, you can refer your friends to apply for a credit card of their own — and earn bonus points in the process.
You’ll earn differing amounts of points each time a person you refer is approved. The referral maximum per year is anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points per year, per card.
You can send referrals by email, social media, or by sending a friend or family member your direct referral link. Your referral link, sharing options, and earning rates can be found on the Chase Refer-A-Friend website.
All cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points (or cash-back that can be converted into points) are eligible for this promotion. Here’s how many points each card earns on your Lyft purchases:
Card
Points per $1 Spent on Lyft
Chase Sapphire Preferred card
5x Ultimate Rewards points
Chase Sapphire Reserve card
10x Ultimate Rewards points
Freedom Flex card
5% cash-back (converts to 5 Ultimate Rewards points)
Freedom Unlimited card
5% cash-back (converts to 5 Ultimate Rewards points)
Ink Business Cash card
5% cash-back (converts to 5 Ultimate Rewards points)
Ink Business Preferred card
5x Ultimate Rewards points
Ink Business Unlimited card
5% cash-back (converts to 5 Ultimate Rewards points)
If you’re a frequent Lyft user, make sure to add your Chase credit card to your account and earn a ton of bonus points. After all, 1 $75 trip to the airport could earn you a massive 750 Ultimate Rewards points if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card!
Hot Tip: Link your Delta Air Lines and Hilton Honors accounts to your Lyft account and earn even more bonus points on Lyft rides!
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it’s not too hard to earn 100,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards points in 90 days or less. In the end, it’s all about having the best card for your spending habits and leveraging bonus-point opportunities like authorized users, Shop through Chase, and buying gift cards in bulk for future purchases.
Now that you have 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, it’s time for the fun part — redeeming them!
The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Freedom® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
Featured Image Credit: Jeramey Lende via Shutterstock
Frequently Asked Questions
Chase Ultimate Rewards is the loyalty program associated with many of Chase’s personal and business credit cards. The points earned can be transferred to travel partners or redeemed for travel through the Chase travel portal.
The following personal and business credit cards earn Ultimate Rewards points. Cards with an asterisk next to them can transfer to airline and hotel partners, while cards without cannot. However, Ultimate Rewards points earned by non-transferable cards can be combined with transferrable cards and then transferred to partners.
Personal Cards:
Chase Sapphire Preferred card*
Chase Sapphire Reserve card*
Chase Freedom® card
Freedom Flex card
Freedom Unlimited card
Business Cards:
Ink Business Cash card
Ink Business Preferred card*
Ink Business Unlimited card
Points earned with a credit card will appear in your account shortly after your statement closes. Points earned through Shop through Chase will generally appear in 3 to 5 days but can take longer for select merchants.
You can, but you must add your spouse or another member of your household as an authorized user before you can transfer points to their account. After doing this, go to your Ultimate Rewards account, hover over your points balance on the top right, and select Combine Points.
Then, you will see your spouse or household member listed on the Combine Points page. Click on your spouse’s name, click the continue button, and enter the number of points you want to transfer.
Chase’s airline transfer partners include: Aer Lingus AerClub, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue Air France KLM, Emirates Skywards, Iberia Plus, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, United Airlines MileagePlus, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Hotel partners include: World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
No, Chase Ultimate Rewards points will not expire as long as you have an open account.
Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.
He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
6 comments
David
April 16, 2018
If I apply for Preferred and Reserved cards, will I get 50k sign-up bonus for each?
Hi Grumpy Texan,
Yes, you’re correct. The Chase Pay app will be shutting down in early 2020. After that you’ll still be able to use Chase Pay to check out on participating merchant websites and apps.
Kathy
September 08, 2019
I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Business Ink card, and the Chase Freedom. I have been transferring all of my points to the Sapphire Card. I would really like to get the Reserve card. My husband has the Chase Ink Preferred and Chase freedom. I thought it might be a good idea to transfer my points to his account and downgrade my Sapphire to the new Unlimited card. If I do this, will I be eligible for the Reserve in 48 months? Thanks for any guidance you can offer.
Unless you’re hoping to get the welcome offer that comes with the Sapphire Reserve, you can call to request an upgrade from the Preferred to the Reserve without needing to wait 48 months!
Thanks for reading!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
6 comments
David
April 16, 2018
If I apply for Preferred and Reserved cards, will I get 50k sign-up bonus for each?
Alex Miller
April 19, 2018
Chase updated their terms and you can only apply and get the bonus for one of the Sapphire cards. We’d advise choosing which one you go for carefully!
Grumpy Texan Travel
September 07, 2019
Alex, Chase Pay is going away in several months. I don’t recall the exact date but I definitely got an email saying it was shutting down.
Katie Seemann
September 09, 2019
Hi Grumpy Texan,
Yes, you’re correct. The Chase Pay app will be shutting down in early 2020. After that you’ll still be able to use Chase Pay to check out on participating merchant websites and apps.
Kathy
September 08, 2019
I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Business Ink card, and the Chase Freedom. I have been transferring all of my points to the Sapphire Card. I would really like to get the Reserve card. My husband has the Chase Ink Preferred and Chase freedom. I thought it might be a good idea to transfer my points to his account and downgrade my Sapphire to the new Unlimited card. If I do this, will I be eligible for the Reserve in 48 months? Thanks for any guidance you can offer.
Jarrod West
September 09, 2019
Hi Kathy,
Unless you’re hoping to get the welcome offer that comes with the Sapphire Reserve, you can call to request an upgrade from the Preferred to the Reserve without needing to wait 48 months!
Thanks for reading!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
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